A user of the Web typically gathers news about a subject of particular interest by actively searching the Web for relevant news items. Such a search is very time consuming and typically retrieves both desired news articles and undesired content containing common search terms. Structuring a search so as avoid unwanted content without severely limiting the breadth of the search is typically difficult if not impossible.
Alternatively, the user may sequentially browse a collection of Web sites known to him or her to be possible sources of news items relating to the subject of interest. However, the user will need to search or browse each Web site separately and will not retrieve news items present only on other Web sites.
What is needed is an automated tool for retrieving timely news articles about a subject of interest, without also retrieving unwanted content, from a wide variety of relevant Web sites.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a system and method for providing items, other than advertisements, about a subject of interest to an individual.